Tunnel mold-form.



H. B. LOXTERMAN.

TUNNEL MOLD Fonrw 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTUM.

ATTORNEYS.

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Patented July 23, M918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led. February 5, 1916. Serial No. 76,345.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that l, Howl-inn B. lllox'rnn- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county oi Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Tunnel Mold-Forms, `of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to forms for 'molding concrete structures and more particularly to that class oiZ forms used in the constructionof concrete lined tunnels, sewers, etc., and has for its principal objects, the provision of a form which may readily be collapsed and moved into new positions, the provision oi a mold torni of large proportions `that can be manipulated with little ditiiculty, the provision of a mold torni having a plurality of mold sections independently supported so that separate sections can be shifted from one place to another without disturbing the remaining sections, the provisionof a mold form wherein a telescoping travelerfor mold support carries the forms upon adjusting screws which serve to positively raise or lower the forms as required, the provision of a form wherein the central portion thereof is supported independently of the traveler, and which is adapted to support the central portion of theceiling so that the remainder ot the forms may be shifted into a new position before the concrete has become hard enough to support the whole width ci" the tunnel thereby saving time in the operation `of the molds, and such other objects as may hereinatter appear. @ne embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an end elevationshowing the forms set up to `i'orrn a tunnel mold, and Fig. 2 isa side elevation of one setof mold sections and traveler looking romthe center of the tunnel toward one of the walls thereof.

' Referring to the drawings, themoldorin and traveler support comprises a seriesoii ceiling ormsections 1 and 2, each being provided with a side section 3 and 4l, respectively, which is `hinged to the outer edges ot the ceiling sections at 5. IThe ceiling sections are built up of plates mounted npon angle irons 6 whileithe plates of the side sections are mounted upon curved angle irons 7. The side sections extend from a point adjacent the top otl the mold nearly to the bottom of the tunnel and are braced longitudinally by angle irons 8 which eX- tend from one vertically disposed angle iron 7 to another.

The ceiling sections arc attached to a supporting fran'ie which consists of downwardly disposed vertical channels 9, the

channels being secured to the angle irons 6 oit' the form sections by means of the gusset plates 10 which are fastened by means of the detachable bolts 11. All of the down-- wardly disposed channels 9 are connected means of the angle irons 6 and adjacent the longitudinal channels 12 by means of the transverse angles 13.

The trame structure is supported upon a traveling truck consisting of a series of longitudinal channels 14 extending the full length of the mold section and which carry .the wheels 15 `which are disposed between the separato pairs ot longitudinal channels, as shown inFig. 1. rllhe wheels are pivoted BIS on pins 16 extending through the channels and are mounted in bearings 17 which are secured to the longitudinal channels 1-1. Fleierring more particularly to Fig. 2, a series ot vertical columns are secured to the lon-- gitudinal channelslll and consist of veril tically disposed channels 18 arranged in pairs with `a space between them to` receive the downwardly extending channels 9 of the trame construction in which such channels telescope with the vertical columns. rlFhe channels 18 are securely bolted to the longitudinal channels 141 and` are further held in position byy means of theplates 19 which serve to ltie the channels together and form a box construction which serves `to prevent lateral displacement of the channels 9. j l nl.

lt will be seen thatthe travelerconsists, therefore, ot a truck portion which is adapted to travel. along the track arranged cured to the under side of the channels 12,

are provided with holes through which the upper ends of the jack screws pass and serve as a bearing sheetfor the upper end of the jack 20. Pins 22V (Fig. 2) are in- 7 serted through holes in the jack 20 abovel the plate 21and serve vto contact with the plate 21 when the screw is turned to lower the frame, thereby positively drawing the frame downward as the screw is turned. It

- will be seen that manipulation of the screw jacks 20 will cause the franie'to be raised orlowered with respect to the truck depending upon the direction in which the screw is turned.

Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the form comprises two separate trucks each carrying a separate frame construction mounted as hereinbefore described, and that the space between the ceiling sections 1 and 2 is bridged by a space plate 23 which is provided at its edges with stiifening angles 24. These-angles are adapted to abut the stift'ening angles 25 on the under side of the frame sections 1 forming a continuous ceiling mold when the parts are in proper position. The space plate 23 may be of varying widths depending upon the width of the tunnel, thus making it possible to use the same size of traveler and mold sections in producingtunnels of different widths. The space plate 23 is supported independently of thetraveler members by means of a wooden beam 26 whiehextends longitudinally of the tunnel and which is supported bythe wooden v vertical columns 27' spaced at proper intervals longitudinally of thetunnel. Aside from other advantages in supporting the spaceplate `23 independently ofthe travelers, the principal object is to support the center ofthe tunnel ceiling while the concrete is hardening. When the center ofthe ceiling is supported the remaining forms may be removed much earlier than ifthere were p no support provided. Therefore the forms carried bythe Atravelers may be removed and set up; in a new position in considerably shorter` intervals than -heretofore possible. The result is an economy in the number of VVVforms required andv asaving of time. Y

The principal object in making the forms with sections supported upon separate ktrucks is tok facilitate the movement of the Vforms in smaller units where/the proportions of the tunnel are large. It will be seen that the mold sections for one side of the tunnel maybe set up and the operation 0f pouring the concrete may be carried en while the foi'in Sections for the other side el' the tunnel are arranged in position, thus saving considerable time in the construction work. Another advantage is that a set ol' sections on one side of the tunnel may be inoveil into a new position before the concrete on the other side has become set sullicient te pci-init of movement of the section on that side. Also it may be seen that it will be innch easier to manipulate the small section of the mold form than if it were necessary to shift the whole tunnel form as a unit.

The side sections 3 and 4 which are hin ged to the ceiling sections 1 and 2 respectively, at 5, are held in extended position as shown in Fig. 1, by means of turnbuckles 2S and 29. The turnbuckles 28 are attached at one end to the frame construction at 30 and to the side form 3 at 31, while the turnbuckles 29 are attached at one end to the truck construction at 32 and to the lower end of the side form at 33. When the forms are set in position the ceiling forms and the side forms are reinforced at the point of connection by means of splice plates 34 which are bolted to the angles 6 and 7 of the ceiling forms and side forms, respectively.

When it is desired to collapse the forms the splice plates 34 are removed and the turnbuckles 28 and 29 are then simultaneously turned to draw the side form toward the traveler. After this is done the jack screws 20 are turned so that the frame construction will be drawn down, thus pulling the ceiling sections away from the linished concrete. The traveler carrying the form sections with it may be advanced into a positlion for forming a new portion of the tunne n VWhile the mold section herein shown is approximately twenty feet in length and composed of four panels of section forms, it is sometimes desirable to Connect the forms in units of greater length, possibly four mold sections, as shown, being coupled together forming a long tunnel mold. When it is desired to attach a series of mold forms a set of the plates 19 of one section is removed permitting the extending plates 19 at the end of the adjoining section to occupy the position of the previously removed plates. This applies also to the stiii'ening angles 35 which serve to tie the vertical channels 18 to the longitudinal channels 14. By referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that these angles 35 project beyond the ends of the mold section in a manner similar to the plates 19, and additional splice plates 36, which are bolted to the ends ofthe longitudinal channels 14, serve to connect the channels 14. Therefore, the separate sections are securely CTX Lemme connected ctt the adjoining ends by ineens of three splice members 19, 35 and 36, which Serve to bind the sections into a, solid unit.

lt is obvious that ineny changes in detail ol the Construction herein shown may be niztde without departingfrom the Spirit of the invention, and the invention is therefore not limited to the specific construction herein illustrated.

What I claim is:

1. A tunnel mold forni comprising` n pair of independently nieve-ble trucks eeeh independently supporting L top inold section and e Side inold section arranged with the free ends of the top Sections facing one another, and e connecting plete supported between the i'ree ends of the top sections whereby the sections are joined to forni a complete tunnel mold.

2. i tunnel inold forni comprising e ptir of independently inoveble true-ks each snpporting t top mold section and a Side Inold Section arranged with the :tree ends of the top sections facing one another, and means 'for withdrawing from the tunnel Wall the forms Carried upon one truck independently of the forms Carried upon the other truck.

3. A tunnel inold iorn'x comprising n pair of independently movable trucks e-.Loh eupporting si top Inold section und ay eide inold Section arranged with the free ends of the top sections facing one another, a. connecting` plete supported between the free ends of the top sections whereby the sections are joined to forni e complete tunnel mold, and ineens whereby the Connecting plete is supported independently of the trucks.

HOWARD B. LOXTERMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve nente each, by addressing; the ommssioner et Entente,

Wnenlnmsnm ha dit. 

